Homeless In/Around Downtown SA (San Antonio, Austin: daycare, bus, suburbs)

[malcorub16]

Is it just me or has homelessness skyrocketed in downtown San Antonio recently. It seems that every time I come back and visit downtown the problem appears to be worsening. The homeless and mental cases used to mostly congregate near the county jail but they are now everywhere downtown even down by the Riverwalk and in the tourist areas. It might have been more visible since I was there on Sunday and it was cold, rainy and wet with very few workers and tourists around.

There are no tent cities like LA's Skid Row or anything like that, so they could have just been people that looked like vagrants. So is it a growing problem in DTSA or is it just my imagination?

[ashbeeigh]

Are you near haven for hope at all? The purpose of H4H is to centralize homeless services. It’s near the jail but not close to the touristy part of the river. I haven’t been downtown recently, though.

[JH6]

Unfortunately the downtown library is a homeless daycare.

I took a walk over there on lunch the other day, and it was pretty sad.

Folks just laying on the floor, charging phones, etc.

Also crazy people arguing with staff, they have some security officers on site as well.

People sleeping on tables and huddled in corners as well.

[sapphire]

Originally Posted by JH6

Unfortunately the downtown library is a homeless daycare.

I took a walk over there on lunch the other day, and it was pretty sad.

Folks just laying on the floor, charging phones, etc.

Also crazy people arguing with staff, they have some security officers on site as well.

People sleeping on tables and huddled in corners as well.

Which is why librarians are learning how to administer Narcan and libraries are keeping it available. Sadly, many overdoses occur in libraries across the country.

Downtown has a lot of homeless and in my opinion, Haven for Hope has not been successful. Sure, there are probably some people/families that have been helped but the whole "hide the homeless from the tourists " is disturbing. They also seem to send them to the suburbs to panhandle during the day. As long as Scully and her pals have limited exposure to them, I guess they consider *that* the successful part.

[Azure110]

Some people seem to say "they" send the homeless to the suburbs to panhandle, but who exactly is "they"? Just curious.

I blame the panhandling on the suburbanites because the downtown people are more conditioned to the homeless and seem less likely to donate money.

Scully doesn't care about the homeless but a lot of the homeless don't want to be helped in a way that helps them get off their feet. Many... (not all) want drugs, food, sleep in no particular order, other than that...they want to be left alone with no rules imposed on them.

[sapphire]

"They" is Haven for Hope that gives them (the homeless in case you don't know who "them" is) bus tickets which they (the homeless, again in case you don't know who this "they" are) use to venture out to the busy intersections in the suburbs to panhandle where yes, the suburbanites are to blame for everything.

[RadiantBaby]

Haven For Hope has helped a lot of people.

Unless you've dealt with them directly- and I have- you really don't need to offer your unfounded opinion.

It just makes you come across as yet another out-of-touch suburbanite.

[Grandmax4]

Originally Posted by sapphire

They also seem to send them to the suburbs to panhandle during the day.

What do you means "send them?" I think everyone goes where they want to go without being told. Regardless of their status, these are people who have every right to go where they want as long as they aren't violating any laws. They may not be pleasant to look at or be around, but they're people. Since I've moved back, I have noticed more homeless people downtown, but the largest population seems to be around the metro station. It breaks my heart every time I drive past that area because all I see are people who never knew their own worth, never learned that they could be or do more. Maybe the underlying issue for not accepting help is the feeling that it's not deserved.

[rynetwo]

Originally Posted by RadiantBaby

Haven For Hope has helped a lot of people.

Unless you've dealt with them directly- and I have- you really don't need to offer your unfounded opinion.

It just makes you come across as yet another out-of-touch suburbanite.

[Mod cut: rude]

The sometimes aggressive mentality challenged/homeless/arsehole (Not equating so put the online pitch forks away) are at Blanco/1604, three sides of Culebra/1604, De Zavala, Stone Oak/1604, and anywhere on Bandera. Love that SAPD picks them up and takes them DT, but I don’t know the Haven policy.

San Antonio needs to be very careful in balancing tourism and homelessness. Went to Austin recently and it was crap show and just gross with the side effects.

The the poster I quoted... this comes from someone that has a homeless uncle and brother with a drug problem that moved into homelessness. You sound like someone who does not practice what you preach in your interactions. Trying to bring these people back has been everlasting but futile so far...

[rynetwo]

Originally Posted by Grandmax4

What do you means "send them?" I think everyone goes where they want to go without being told. Regardless of their status, these are people who have every right to go where they want as long as they aren't violating any laws. They may not be pleasant to look at or be around, but they're people. Since I've moved back, I have noticed more homeless people downtown, but the largest population seems to be around the metro station. It breaks my heart every time I drive past that area because all I see are people who never knew their own worth, never learned that they could be or do more. Maybe the underlying issue for not accepting help is the feeling that it's not deserved.

They do/are violating laws...I stopped reading once I saw this. You seem like the person passing out money when all you are doing is hurting the person...FYI you should check up on the local laws.